1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to patch panels for telecommunication application and more particularly, to an angle panel for holding network jacks for the connection of mating network plugs, which facilitates arrangement of network cables in a wire organizer and maintains excellent electrical characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional patch panels commonly have a flat base for the mounting of jack modules or keystone jacks at the back side thereof. After installation of jack modules or keystone jacks in the flat base of a patch panel, the flat base is then affixed to a rack. A jack module or keystone jack for this purpose has a plug hole at the front side for the insertion of a matching plug module, keystone plug, fiber optic plug or coaxial cable plug of a cable or network line. After installation of matching plug modules, keystone plugs, fiber optic plugs or coaxial cable plugs in a patch panel, the cables or network lines are then arranged in a cable organizer.
However, when inserting a plug into the plug hole of a jack at a patch panel, the insertion direction is perpendicular to the flat base of the patch panel. At this time, the cable or network line at the back side of the plug will be heavily curved, easily leading to core wire breaking or component damage, or causing change of electrical properties.
Therefore, there is a strong demand for a measure to prevent the aforesaid heavy cable curving problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,106 discloses a patch panel design, entitled “Telecommunicaons patch panel with angled connector modules”. According to this design, connector modules are rotatably mounted to a frame member. By means of rotating the connector modules relative to the frame member, the connector jacks and the connector modules are arranged in linear arrays perpendicular to the axis of rotation, maintaining transmission characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,670 discloses a patch panel design, entitled “Angled RJ to RJ patch panel”. According to this design each of the electrical connector assemblies comprises a first jack presented on a first side of a panel frame of the patch panel and a second jack electrically linked to the first jack to form a jack pair and presented on a second side of the panel frame. Both the first jack and the second jack are presented at an angle with respect to the panel frame, and both the first jack and the second jack may be engaged using a patch cord. The first and second jack of each jack pair are at a 90-degree angle relative to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,541 discloses a patch panel design, entitled “Angled patch panel with cable support bar for network cable racks”. According to this design, the patch panel includes a patch panel frame and rack mounting plates. The frame forms a central section having a longitudinal width sized to fit within the network rack. The rack mounting plates are provided on opposite longitudinal ends of the central section and allow the panel to be mounted to a network rack. The central section includes two panel sections angled outwardly in an inverted V-shapes, and the central section has mounted thereon a plurality of cable connectors that receive cabling on the front side and the rear side of the patch panel frame, reducing the curving angle of cables.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,308 discloses an angled patch panel that makes an improvement on U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,541. According to this design, the angled patch panel has left and right end panel sections and left and right central panel sections. Each section has at least one connector mounting aperture. The patch panel comprises left and right mounting plates, and left and right end rearwardly extending extension plates. The left end panel section extends from the left end extension plate inwardly and forwardly. The right end panel section extends from the right end extension plate inwardly and forwardly. The left central panel section extends from the left end panel section inwardly. The right central panel section extends from the right end panel section inwardly and forwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,078 discloses a patch panel design, entitled “Patch panels with communications connectors that are rotatable about a vertical axis”, which comprises a frame having mounting features at opposite lateral ends for mounting the patch panel to the network rack, a bezel having outlet apertures, and communication outlets mounted in respective ones of the outlet apertures. Each outlet comprises a plurality of electrical contacts within a plug aperture configured to receive a mating plug. The plug aperture has a generally horizontal axis for receiving the mating plug and further includes a plug latch recess. The outlets are oriented such that the plug latch recess is positioned on one side edge of the plug aperture.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,488,205 discloses a fixed angled patch panel, which, similar to U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,078, comprises a plurality of openings for receiving bezels. The bezels may be connected to the patch panel by a snap-lock arrangement. Each bezel comprises at least one port for receiving a jack unit. The ports open in an angled direction toward a lateral side of the bezel.
The aforesaid various prior art designs are still not satisfactory in function and have drawbacks as follows:
The structure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,106 is excessively complicated, not easy to assemble in the production line. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,736,670 and 7,343,078 are designed for mounting of particular network jacks. Other network jacks of which the housing has a retaining portion at the top side and a springy arm type hook at the bottom side are not mountable to these patch panels. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,866,541 and 7,300,308 have the common drawback that the panel protrudes over the rack, and wiring technicians may be injured by the protruding part of the panel accidentally. U.S. Pat. No. 7,488,205 has the drawback that, due to that the ports open in an angled direction toward a lateral side of the bezel, the fabrication of the patch panel requires techniques, increasing the manufacturing cost. Therefore, improvements are required.